Solidarity and Guidance for Students Affected By Immigration EOs

Dear Members,

As you may be aware, Donald Trump has shamefully banned immigrants from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen from entering the United States. If you are a student from one of these countries, we stand with you. We have been in contact with campus organizations and legal groups to provide some guidance to our international student members and undocumented members in this difficult time.

The west coast branch of the Muslim Student Association is partnering with legal experts at the Council for American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and Asian-Americans Advancing Justice (AAAJ) to provide an online Know-Your-Rights info session addressed to all students affected by the ban. This session will go live tomorrow, Wednesday 2/1, at 8:30pm. Sign up at this link. Live signup will be available to the first 100 individuals. They are working to make an additional livestream and recording available to all others who are unable to join. Also check yesterday’s webinar by the National Immigration Law Center on the Muslim Ban and their webinar last week on all immigration-related orders thus far. All members are encouraged to also sign this recent petition calling on the UC to take concrete steps to support students in the wake of the orders.

Our Union has also set aside some funds to support groups who are organizing in-person “Know Your Rights” trainings on each campus in the coming weeks. Your local campus stewards will be in touch as details for each campus are solidified.

You should know that immigrant advocacy groups challenged the executive order in court and aspects of the ban seem to have been temporarily blocked, though this may change at any moment. Powerful protests at airports across the country have also been effective in preventing deportations. However, advocacy groups are still strongly urging visa-holders AND green card holders from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, or Yemen to delay any plans to leave the United States. If you are already abroad and seeking to reenter the U.S., you may contact the ACLU branch nearest the first U.S. airport in your itinerary.

Persons detained at a California airport should call the local ACLU hotline:

San Francisco: 415-621-2488

Los Angeles: 213-977-5245

San Diego: 619-398-4485

Also, each campus has an undocumented student resource center which can provide helpful information and guidance to immigrant students. The UC Berkeley Undocumented Student Program has created this fact sheet on all the immigration-related executive orders thus far.

If you have any questions or are a member of the legal community and would like to help lead “know your rights” sessions on your campus, contact Anti-Oppression Committee Coordinator, Alborz Ghandehari at uaw2865aoc@gmail.com. Stay tuned for more information from you campus stewards.